Danbury-based Praxair is reporting progress on a proposed merger with Linde AG.  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steve Angel says they gained additional regulatory approvals.  Praxair has agreed to sell the majority of their European business in an efforts to gain approval. 

Meanwhile, the Danbury City Council this month approved an ordinance that would abate 50-percent personal property taxes for information technology in a qualified data center for three years.  Praxair asked for this kind of abatement, but the ordinance can't be tailored to the company.  A Praxair representative noted that after a nationwide search in 2015, the company decided to remain in Danbury and purchased a property on Riverview Drive.  At that time, they also purchased a property in upstate New York specifically zoned for data centers. 

The company says data centers are attractive investments, not because of the amount of jobs they bring to an area, but because they bring tangible property with little to no drain on local resources like water and electric.  There's also little impact on traffic.